HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) – In this Community Chat, WAVY Digital Desk Host Sarah Goode speaks to the Hampton History Museum in honor of Women’s History Month. Watch the video in the player on this page.
Museum Aide Willow Pell shares the stories of incredible women in Hampton’s history. Pell told WAVY about the Dixie Hospital Nurse Sit-In, where three nurses broke down barriers and inspired policy changes. They also talk about the history of Mary Smith Peake.
Throughout March, the Museum is highlighting more women’s stories for Women’s History Month on their Facebook page.
Pell says, “It’s very important for us as a museum to make sure that people understand those aspects of our history that often go overlooked.”
For more information on these stories and related topics, the museum provided these resources below.
The Dixie Nurse Sit-In
Civil Rights Movement in Virginia
Encyclopedia Virginia: Civil Rights Movement Archives
Hampton History Museum: Hampton Sit-In Oral History Project
Mary Smith Peake
Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation
Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia: Emancipation Oak
Later in the conversation, Pell shared details about a new exhibit they worked on at the museum, “Teetotalers and Moonshiners, and Hampton’s Prohibition Story”. Click here to see what else is happening at the Museum, and view current exhibits, and upcoming events.
